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• Nuggets sign Jamal Murray to $208M max extension

  The Denver Nuggets and star guard Jamal Murray have agreed to a four-year, $208million max contract extension, multiple media outlets reported Saturday.

  Murray had been scheduled to be a free agent next offseason but will now earn a total of $244million through the 2028-29 season.

  Murray, 27, has emerged as the primary sidekick to three-time MVP Nikola Jokić and helped the Nuggets win the franchise’s first NBA championship in 2023.  

  Since returning from a torn ACL that cost him the 2021-22 season, Murray has emerged as one of the premier perimeter scorers in the NBA and a seamless fit with Jokic.

  Murray averaged 21.2 points and 6.5 assists last season while shooting a career-high 42.5 percent from 3-point range.

  Over 469 career games, all with Denver, Murray has averaged 17.5 points and 4.5 assists.

  Murray has two 50-point play-off games and has averaged 24.2 points over 65 career post-season games.

  The offseason spending of the Nuggets’ front office has become a controversial topic since they elected not to re-sign Bruce Brown and Jeff Green after winning the 2023 championship. This offseason, starting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope left in free agency to sign with the Orlando Magic.

  With several veteran role-players leaving over the last two seasons, the Nuggets will rely even more on the two-man game between Murray and Jokić, as well as younger players like Christian Braun and Peyton Watson.

• Thompson set to seal Cavs return

  The Cleveland Cavaliers have agreed to a one-year deal for the return of free agent Tristan Thompson, according to his agency.

  Thompson, who spent his first nine professional seasons with the Cavs and is represented by Klutch Sports, played a key role in their first championship success back in 2016 alongside LeBron James.

  The 33-year-old has since turned out for the Indiana Pacers, Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, Sacramento Kings, and Los Angeles Lakers, but his best years have come with the Cavaliers. 

  He was the fourth overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft and has averaged nine points and 8.3 rebounds for the Cavaliers in 10 seasons.

  Thompson was re-signed by the Cavs as a free agent before the 2023-24 season, appearing in 49 games around a 25-game suspension he received after testing positive for a banned substance. 

  With Thompson's impending arrival, the Cavs are hoping they can make a deeper run in the playoffs this campaign after falling to the Celtics in the second round of the playoffs last season.

  They will be doing so under new management, after parting ways with J.B. Bickerstaff and bringing in Kenny Atkinson, who had been the assistant at the Golden State Warriors for the last four campaigns.

• Jaydon Hibbert undergoes surgery after battling through Olympics with torn meniscus

  Jaydon Hibbert, one of the brightest young stars in track and field, has undergone minor surgery to repair a torn meniscus, an injury he sustained during the Jamaica National Championships. Despite the setback, Hibbert still managed to compete at the Paris Olympics, narrowly missing out on a medal while performing with the injury.

  The torn meniscus occurred when Hibbert landed in an under-prepared pit during the Jamaica national championships, leading to an injury that required careful management in the lead-up to the Olympics. His coach, Travis Geopfert, who is now the Director of Track and Field and Cross Country at Kansas State University, expressed immense pride in Hibbert’s ability to battle through the pain and deliver a commendable performance in Paris.

  "Yeah, we had to work through it, man. We had to modify things a little bit. I'm just really proud of him in his efforts, you know, because he was not 100 percent, but man, he battled. He put it out there. He tried, just off the medal, which is really good considering the circumstance," said Geopfert.

  Hibbert's grit and determination were on full display despite being physically compromised, showcasing his potential as one of the sport's rising stars. Following the Olympics, Hibbert underwent surgery to clean up the meniscus, a procedure Geopfert described as "not major." The young jumper is expected to make a full recovery and will be "good to go" once rehabilitated.

  Although Hibbert’s injury forced him to miss the recently concluded World U20 Championships in Lima, Peru, Geopfert remains optimistic about his future.

  Geopfert also praised his other jumpers who competed in Paris, including Wayne Pinnock, who won silver in the men’s long jump, Carey McLeod, who made the long jump final, and Romaine Beckford, a high jump finalist. Geopfert commended their perseverance in the face of adversity.

  "I'm really proud of the group. Life is not perfect, and injuries are part of the sport. Managing the imperfections of the body is part of it too. What I'm most proud of is how these guys managed everything and fought through adversity. They competed extremely well at the Olympic Games," Geopfert said.

  While Pinnock’s silver medal and the presence of multiple finalists were significant achievements, Geopfert emphasized that the high standards of the group always push them to aim higher. Despite injuries and other challenges, the coach was "nothing but proud" of how his athletes performed on the biggest stage in the sport.